Expert thought

In view of the restrictive 2018 Luhansk People’s Republic statute, it is not surprising that some groups declined to apply for registration, while others were refused. The result is that many religious communities find themselves outside the law…. the 48 Baptist Union congregations have had to cease their activity altogether.

Religious Studies

In the context of recent events in the Orthodox world, disputes over the boundaries of church institutions often arise between the Patriarchate of Constantinople, Kyiv and Moscow. Ukraine accuses Russia of misappropriating the territory of the Kyiv Metropolis. In its turn, Moscow appeals to the fact that the ancient Kyiv Metropolis differs from the territory of modern Ukraine. RISU decided to clarify this topic, getting advice from historians. Based on this research, we prepared an infographic.

The first question that arises concerning Ukraine is this: with what right and based on which holy canons, does Russia today claim the ecclesiastical and administrative dependency of the Metropolis of Kyiv?

Calendar

UGCC

On May 13, 2019, the Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, visited the Knights of Columbus headquarters in New Haven, CT, their main residence in the United States. In addition, the Primate presided over the Liturgy, according to the Department of Information of the UGCC.

The fact that today the Greek Catholics are still facing the most difficult task – to build a patriarchate – was mentioned by the head of the UGCC on May 11 in Philadelphia, PA where these days he is on an official visit. Patriarch Sviatoslav took part in the celebration of the 45th anniversary of the "St Sophia" Society of Ukrainian Catholics in the United States. This partnership is doing a great job in restoring the Patriarchal Fund which should become the foundation for the building of the Patriarchate of the UGCC.

Metropolitan Epifaniy, the head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, has recently said he does not exclude the possibility of unification of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine with the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. He told this to Espresso TV channel.

On May 11, Patriarch Svyatoslav of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church visited schoolchildren of Our Ukrainian School in Philadelphia, PA (USA). The Primate had separate meetings with older high school students, with junior students, and with students of middle school age.
The First Hierarch encouraged young Ukrainians to keep alive their language and culture, regardless of where they are.

On May 7, the Patriarch of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church announced the creation of the Patriarchal Council for Social Communications of the UGCC. His Beatitude Svyatoslav was appointed its head, the Department of Information of the UGCC reports.

On May 8-13, 2019, Patriarch Sviatoslav will be on an official visit to Philadelphia, PA. The purpose of the visit is to attend the celebration of the 45th anniversary of the United States "St Sofia" Religious Association of Ukrainian Catholics which will take place on May 11 at the Ukrainian Educational and Cultural Center in Jenkintown.

On May 5-7, 2019, the Jewish Confederation of Ukraine holds the Kyiv Jewish Forum – a high-profile international event in the course of which the Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, conferred the Award of Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky on Ronald Lauder, the President of the World Jewish Congress. This is reported by the Department of Information of the UGCC.

Pope Francis invited the Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church Sviatoslav, members of the Permanent Synod and the Metropolitan of the UGCC to hold a joint working meeting with him and the Vatican Curia, Department of Information of the UGCC reports.

On Thursday, April 25, Patriarch Sviatoslav of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church sanctified more than three thousand pieces of Easter bread for the Ukrainian military in the East of Ukraine, at the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Resurrection in Kyiv. They will be handed over to the soldiers by chaplains, who will visit Donbas in the next few days.

On behalf of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Patriarch Sviatoslav (Shevchuk) extended his condolences after terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka. The first hierarch wrote it in his letter to Cardinal Malcom Remix, Archbishop of Colombo, according to the Department of Information of the UGCC

A moral authority of Ukrainians, Metropolitan-Archbishop Borys (Gudziak) of the Ukrainian Archeparchy of Philadelphia of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, thanked President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko for his activity in the office as Head of State:

The district court in Przemysl sentenced 19 men to imprisonment from 6 to 14 months for interfering with the procession of Greek Catholics and Orthodox, which in June 2016, after the funeral service for Ukrainian soldiers, followed the streets of the city.

On April 16, Patriarch of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church His Beatitude Sviatoslav met with the delegation of military chaplains of the US Armed Forces in Europe led by the Chaplain of the 7th Army of the United States, Timothy Malard. This is reported by the Department of Information of the UGCC.

His Holiness Pope Francis received the newly-nominated Archbishop and Metropolitan of Philadelphia, former bishop of the Paris Eparchy of St. Volodymyr the Great, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, and President of the Ukrainian Catholic University Borys Gudziak at a private audience on April 15.

Patriarch Svyatoslav (Shevchuk) of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church urged young people to participate in the presidential elections in Ukraine, since the country's destiny for decades to come -- and perhaps even its further existence -- will depend on their results.